Italy: 6.79GW Of New Photovoltaic Installations In 2024

Recently, the Italian Solar Photovoltaic Association Italia Solare said that the Italian solar photovoltaic market grew by 30% year-on-year in 2024, with a new installed capacity of 6.79GW. Italy has a cumulative installed capacity of 37.08GW, and nearly 1.9GW of new installed capacity in the fourth quarter of last year.

The total number of photovoltaic systems currently online in Italy is 1,878,780, but by 2024, their number will decrease by 25%, with new installations reaching 283,914.

The largest contributor to new projects last year was the utility-scale segment, including power projects with a capacity of 1MW or more. It increased by 163% year-on-year, an increase of 3.045GW. Most projects were connected to the grid during the second half of 2024.

The annual growth rate of solar system capacity between 20kW and 1MW in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector was 8%, with a total capacity of 1.96GW.

Finally, the residential segment of systems smaller than 20kW fell 21% year-on-year to 1.78GW, which the association attributes to the end of the country’s Superbonus program.

Paolo Rocco Visconti, president of Italia Solare, said: “Italian PV is going through a steady growth phase, with a growing role for large systems. However, the decline in residential installations is a signal that should not be underestimated: targeted measures are needed to support households in their energy transition.

Regarding cumulative installed capacity by geographical distribution, Lombardy leads with 4.99GW, driven mainly by C&I systems with a power of between 200kW and 1MW. Veneto follows with 3.76GW and Puglia with 3.63GW. Large-scale solar power plants abound in the Lazio region, with 1.28 GW of new installed capacity in 2024, a 300% year-on-year increase.

Despite obvious challenges, the association believes that the market continues to progress. The report recommends that the government promote self-use in the residential and commercial sectors, speed up the licensing process for new projects, and improve network management to avoid bottlenecks for large power plants.